Reto Francioni will not stand for re-election as Chairman of the Board of Directors of SWISS
After ten years, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of SWISS, Reto Francioni, will not stand for re-election. The current member of the Board of Directors, Dieter Vranckx, is his designated successor.
There will be changes to the Board of Directors of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Dr. Reto Francioni, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SWISS since 2016, has informed the company at its meeting that he will not seek reappointment to the Board of Directors. The company has received his decision with regret and respect. Francioni’s mandate will end at the close of the Annual General Meeting in summer 2026.
Reto Francioni says: “After ten years as Chairman of this great company, which is not only important for Switzerland, the time has come to hand over the leadership of the Board of Directors to other hands. The past ten years have been an intense period, particularly during the difficult years of the coronavirus pandemic. It is a deep personal wish of mine to already now thank all employees of SWISS for their impressive and highly committed work. It has been wonderful to work with many impressive personalities, including in particular the CEOs responsible during my tenure and my colleagues on the Board of Directors of SWISS, for whom I have great respect and friendship.”
Carsten Spohr, CEO of the Lufthansa Group, says: “SWISS is an important part of the Lufthansa Group and makes a significant contribution to the success of the entire Group. That is also why we are investing more than ever before in its modern fleet and its outstanding premium offering ‘SWISS Senses’. Reto Francioni has made a substantial contribution to this successful development in his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors. He also played a key role in ensuring that SWISS came through the difficult period of the coronavirus pandemic well. For that, too, he deserves our great thanks and recognition.”
Dieter Vranckx will take over the leadership of the Board of Directors. Vranckx is currently Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and a member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, where he is responsible for Global Markets and Commercial Steering of the hubs as well as Customer Experience and Group Brand Management. He was CEO of SWISS from 2021 to mid-2024.